Q Sr. anxiously looks up at his son as he exit’s Peri’s bedroom.
Quincy Sr.: Well? Is everything okay?
Quincy Jr.: Everything is perfect. You have a great-grandson, and I’m a grandfather.
Q Sr. walks over and pulls his son into a hug.
Quincy Sr.: Congrats, son! Your mother would have been pleased.
Alida holds her grandson, instantly feeling nothing but love for him. It’s true that she didn’t expect to be a grandmother so soon, and she was incredibly disappointed to find out that Peri was pregnant under these circumstances. But those feelings have now morphed into nothing but the deepest feelings of pride and hope for Kai’s future. It’s all up to Peri now. Alida prays that her daughter is up to the enormous task of raising a son by herself.
Little Kai’s eyes grow heavy until he finally drifts off to sleep. Anxiety begins as a churning feeling in Alida’s belly and spreads rapidly as she thinks about Peri and Kai all alone in a brand new city. She needs her bubbles. She pulls them out and begins to blow as many as she can with one breath, but it doesn’t do much to ease her worry. She’s sure that nothing can. This anxiety is sure to accompany her until she knows that Kai and Peri will be alright.
Still, she’s thrilled to welcome this new life into her family. Alida leaves the bedroom and joins the two Qs at the kitchen table.
Quincy Jr.: How are Kai and Peri?
Alida: They’re both exhausted and are sleeping off the trauma that they’ve both just gone through.
Quincy Jr.: Seeing her in pain like that makes me mad at that asshole Craig all over again. It hurts to know that he’s just going on with his life while everything will change in Peri’s.
Quincy Sr.: He’ll pay in his own way…especially if he turns his back on the chance to be a father.
Alida: It’s about Peri and Kai now. I never met this Craig, and I don’t care to. We just need to be there for Peri and our grandchild.
Quincy Jr.: Our grandchild, I like the sound of that!
Kai cries out to me, snapping me out of my deep sleep. I feel a little helpless, having no idea what I can do to stop the tears. I wish I had paid more attention to what my parents did when Meri was a baby. I try changing Kai’s diaper, and lucky for me, it does the trick.
Daddy and Pop-pop enter the room, lured by Kai’s crying.
Quincy Sr.: Hey, Peri. I just wanted the chance to meet my great-grandson.
Prosperity: Of course. *to Kai* This is your Pop-pop. He wants to meet you.
Quincy Jr.: Anything we can do to help?
Prosperity: Can you watch him for a bit while I get something to eat? I’m starving.
Quincy Jr.: We’d love to.
I leave the room, giving daddy and Pop-pop a chance to bond with Kai…
Q Sr. watches as Q Jr. lifts Kai out of his crib.
Quincy Sr.: You still remember how to take care of a baby, son?
Quincy Jr.: Of course, pop. Do you?
Quincy Sr.: It’s a bit like riding a bike. You never really forget.
Q Sr. smiles as he watches his son hold Kai in his arms.
I sit down with mama at the table.
Alida: When are you planning on moving to Britechester?
Prosperity: As soon as possible, but I’ll need your help to make it happen.
Alida: What do you need?
Prosperity: I want to fly out first thing tomorrow and spend the day there. But I need you to watch Kai for me.
Alida: We’re scheduled to leave tomorrow. Merit starts high school on Monday. *thinks about it* But, I suppose your dad and Merit can go as planned, and I’ll stay until Monday.
Prosperity: Thanks, ma!
Alida: So, have you told Byron yet?
Prosperity: That’s a part of my plan for tomorrow. I just don’t know how to go about doing it.
Alida: You’ll have to be straight with him.
Prosperity: I know, but I don’t want him to hate me. And I never intended to hurt him.
Alida: All you can do is tell him that, but honey…it’ll be up to him how he takes it. And you can’t exactly blame him if he takes it badly. This is a lot for anyone. Just prepare yourself.
Prosperity: I’ll try.
I relieve daddy of his granddaddy duties, and he leaves the room. I feed Kai, then hold him in my arms.
Prosperity: Mommy has something that she has to take care of tomorrow, but you’ll be safe with your gran, okay? There’s a big mess that I have to fix, but everything will be okay. I promise.
I know Kai has no idea what I’m talking about, but talking to him still helps me find my courage. I have to be brave for him. I place him in his crib, change and crawl into bed, desperately trying to prepare myself for a long day tomorrow mentally.
(Generation 2 Chapter Summaries)
